On
Haiti,
UN Role in Recount Unclear, US Mirrors UN On Cholera Origins
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 10 -- Fresh from the snafu of UN's involvement in
Cote d'Ivoire's contested election, it remained unclear Friday what
role if any the UN will play in the recount of Haiti's
election, and
the run-off.
Inner
City Press asked first the UN Spokesperson, then
this month's Security Council president Susan Rice, who also mirrored
the UN's position on whether it introduced cholera to Haiti.
At
Friday's UN noon
briefing, Inner City Press asked
the UN's Martin Nesirky:
Inner
City
Press: the President of the electoral council there said
yesterday, in light of all these, the swirling fraud allegations, et
cetera, he said that… he read a statement saying that the ballots
will be recounted with international observers and electoral
officials watching. So I wanted to know, will the UN be playing any
role in this; will they be observing a recount? Will they certify
the results?
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
As I said to you, Mr. Le Roy is briefing the Council, and
as part of that briefing he said that they are awaiting clarification
about the Commission’s terms of reference and membership. So
that’s still not clear.
Less
than an hour
later, US Ambassador Susan Rice came to the Security Council stakeout
position to read out a Council press statement. Inner City Press
asked her:
Inner
City
Press: On the recount, did the Council discuss, and, separately,
would the U.S. support some kind of a UN role in observing the
recount and certifying the results? And also, on cholera, given the
allegations that somehow the peacekeepers may have brought it, which
may or may not be true, is there any reform that you can think of, in
terms of sending people from one part of the world to another, in
terms of what the DPKO can do better to just take the issue off the
table?
AMBASSADOR
RICE:
The fact is that no one can determine conclusively where the
cholera strain originated. And certainly it has been the U.S. view,
and I think, appropriately, the view taken by the United Nations,
that it is far more important at this crucial stage, when people are
dying and contracting the disease in high numbers, to figure out how
to prevent and treat the epidemic, rather than focus principally on
its origins, which can never be medically determined with certainty.
Susan Rice over Haiti, cholera and its origins not shown: or sought
With
respect
to the electoral process, obviously the Council did discuss,
having heard Under-Secretary-General Le Roy's briefing, the
importance we attach to the will of the Haitian people being
respected, and that all efforts being made by the responsible Haitian
authorities and by the responsible international monitors and
observers is welcome to try to ensure that, as this process unfolds,
that there is transparency and maximum support as needed and
requested by the authorities to ensure that the ultimate result is
free and fair.
We'll
see.
* * *
As
Haiti
Burns and Suffers, UN Stonewalls on Voting and Cholera in Camp
Corail
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 8 -- Amid protests of electoral fraud in Haiti,
the
UN finds itself hindered by increasing reports that its peacekeepers
introduced cholera to Haiti. Meanwhile the UN refuses to answer
questions, about whether the 100,000 people in Camp Corail were even
allowed to vote, what precautions are being taken against a “cholera
time bomb” there, even about how much it pays its spokespeople in
Haiti.
This
last question
has been pending with Ban Ki-moon's spokesman's office since November
26. On December 8, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin
Nesirky questions about peacekeepers and cholera:
Inner
City
Press: There have been a lot of protests of the results that
were just announced, and it’s said that the headquarters of
[René]
Préval’s party have been lit aflame, and the article says there
was no UN peacekeeping presence. Has the UN’s terms of engagement
or protection presence changed at all? Why were they not there while
this party headquarters was burned down?
Spokesperson:
Well, you say they weren’t there. Let’s check. As you just
heard, the Secretary-General is concerned about the acts of violence. I
just read you that statement. The unrest is continuing after the
release of the election results. And as you know, MINUSTAH, the
Mission, has a very clear role in supporting the Haitian National
Police on the ground. Let me find out. I’m sure we’ll be able
to tell you precisely what has been going on on the ground.
But
six hours
later, no further information had been provided by Ban's Spokesman's
Office, about the violence or about cholera and Camp Corail.
Inner City
Press asked about the Camp:
Inner
City
Press: And I wanted to ask, there is also, there were reports
about this camp, Corail, saying two things. Saying, number one, that
there was no… 100,000 people lived there and that the polling
station wasn’t open on 28 November, and also quoting the NGO that
runs the camp as having warned Nigel Fisher that it’s a time bomb
for [inaudible] having received no response by the UN’s cluster
system. And I just wonder, what is… is the UN aware of this, of
the lack of the ability to vote of 100,000 people in the camp as
reported, and also of this… What’s being done to cut off the
spread of cholera to this concentration of 100,000 people?
Spokesperson:
Well, the first thing is that what the Mission has been saying and
what the Secretary-General has also said is that there are formal
channels. There are legal procedures to be able to appeal or to
lodge complaints about the conduct of the elections, the preliminary
results of which were announced last night. And there is a time
frame for doing that, and that’s so any complaints that surface
should be lodged and then they can be looked into by the appropriate
authorities.
With
regard
to cholera, I think that this is an important point that the
key task for humanitarian workers on the ground is to help those
people and to avoid the further spread to the extent that it is
possible. Now, as I understand it, an appeal was made for funding to
help the people on the ground — $174 million was required and
requested specifically for cholera, to help to fight this epidemic on
the ground. So, it’s only 20 per cent funded. That makes the work
of the humanitarian teams on the ground rather difficult. And of
course, any tension on the ground — tension in Haiti as a result of
unrest, because of the release of the election results — that also
hinders the work of humanitarian staff trying to treat people and to
prevent the further spread of cholera.
Inner
City
Press: I understand all that. I guess I just… it seems like
this article that’s in the Min Post, I guess Minnesota, saying…
quoting this guy, Brian Castro of the American Refugee Committee,
saying it was raised in a cluster committee meeting, that he’s
received no response and a request to interview Fisher went
unanswered. Obviously he is busy, but I wonder if maybe you can get
some answer from MINUSTAH what… I understand even despite the lack
of funds… what is… can nothing be done, are they unaware of this
warning by the NGO that actually runs the camp?
Spokesperson:
You mean that particular camp?
Inner
City
Press: Yes, that camp.
Spokesperson:
Let me find out. But I think the suggestion that nothing can be
done is clearly not right. As much as can be done is being done. More
could be done, undoubtedly, if all the funding was received. But as
that funding continues to flow in, the people on the ground
are doing, the people across Haiti from the UN and from NGOs as well,
are doing their very best to help to fight this outbreak and to treat
those who have already shown the symptoms of cholera. You said you
had another question.
Again, six hours later, no information had been
provided. Watch this site.
, 
